Growing into Horror - A Cosmic Response
The Cosmic Outpost
Why does someone who plays as much Call of Cthulhu as I do not like horror films? Well, that's a good question. And don't get me wrong there are some horror films which I do enjoy. But as I was reading Newman's in depth and personal look at what got him into the horror scene, I realised that there is a difference between a good scare and a bad one.
Upfront, we need to mention that this flesh unit known as the Cosmic Outpost is on the autism spectrum. It believes everything you tell it and everything it sees. TV can have an odd effect on this biological configuration.
Let’s go back a little in time to the terrifying world of 70s/80s. Specifically Jaws. It’s terrifying in places. We were sensible and watched it in black and white ('cause of the blood, naturally) but there was this… weirdness, this anxiety that it introduced. I just knew in my belly that the huge shark could somehow swim up the tiny toilet and get me—that's what a healthy imagination can get you. Thinking that the threat you’ve seen is real and out there to get you.
You can also empathise with what happens in the movie, feeling it physically happen to you, personalising the horror you see. These examples makes me feel horrible just thinking about them:
In Star Trek the motion picture there is a transporter accident which is horrific to watch if you put yourself in the scene.
A very notable episode of the kids TV show Space 1999 episode “Dragon’s Domain” has a Cthulhu-like monster on a space ship which, made by 1970s special effects, left a lot to be desired but oh wow as a kid it was traumatising and terrifying. I couldn’t stop thinking about that monster.
A little later on, the Aliens movie was just not fun at all. Traumatising, genuinely traumatising, being stuck in that laboratory knowing there is a chest burster inside you that will kill you and there’s nothing you can do. It took me weeks to get over that movie and I just don't really need that amount of terror in my life. J
Just writing this blog, I’ll need to take some counter measures to not dwell too much on the past.
I’ve seen horror movies that didn’t have the same effect of course. The Friday the 13th series I remember as humorous. The series producers dreaming up numerous ways to dispatch people, like when Jason punches someone's head clean off in part 9 or bending that sheriff in half. The most lovecraftian horror movie, which I was surprised I enjoyed, is Event Horizon. For me, the scariest part is the guy in the airlock. He has no escape and no choice, we know he's going out the airlock. Yes there is someone outside the airlock ready to grab him but he knows he's gonna get flushed out the airlock and maybe die.
The horror I can enjoy doesn’t take your agency away. Horror shouldn't be traumatic either, it should be enjoyable, like a rollercoaster ride. Fun, not scared for your life, hoping the track doesn’t fall to pieces in front of you.
That is where the control aspect of playing a game of Call of Cthulhu, or indeed running Call of Cthulhu, comes in. As a player, I can control my characters’ actions. (Admittedly, yes, it took me a while to get over my character dying).
I hope the Keepers reading this are aware of X cards. They can be seen as ‘soft’ and “this is a game of horror - what do you expect?” in some circles. But they are there to enhance the game. I remember playing a Delta Green scenario where I had to slip a note to the Handler that the solution we're going to come up with as a group was something that would be traumatic for me to ‘play’. The Handler was absolutely fine with it, the solution happened as a summary and the game carried on. If you are running a game, please listen to what your players are saying in their X cards. It’s quite possible that by being dismissive of a trauma in the moment can stay with someone for weeks, months, or even years. I’m sure you’d much rather be known for the good horror, the chill you gave them. I've had a couple of good scares over the years - once where, in my very early gaming, we made ourselves a little bit afraid by opening the curtains at night staring out into the blackness. Even a teenage Keeper running “The Haunting” can create a scare with that backdrop! And if you’ve ever stopped by my blog www.roll4sanity.com you'll have heard me say that when I played “A Mother's Love” by Seth Skorkowsky Keepered by Hedge it gave me a fantastic chill moment that was the right level of fright and awesome.
So why did I like Call of Cthulhu if I don’t like horror? It was the scary picture of the star spawn of Cthulhu on the cover of the second edition book. You’ll know the one I mean if you picked up the anniversary reprint. The image had just the right amount of scariness that I could handle. It wasn't over the top and there was a good amount of intrigue in the image. Inside the book, the descriptions from the mythos stories were fantastic and you got to play an investigator in the 1920s – what’s not to like! The adventures are fun with all kinds of horror to enjoy. Though I do still steer away from games that look like you have to play a character in someone else’s horror movie
It's fine if you don't enjoy horror movies or want to skip an adventure that doesn't appeal to you. If you do like horror movies then I'm very glad for you. I won't be watching but I’ll still enjoy a game of Call of Cthulhu with you.